Differential law enforcement practices to Indigenous rights disputes and protests

Colonial practices and violence have long been an issue for the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. Particularly, the Canadian government and law enforcement have had ongoing problematic and forceful practices employed toward Indigenous Peoples and their rightful land and territories pertaining to the government’s desire to advance the Canadian economy. Extensive research has been conducted concerning Canada’s law enforcement practices toward Indigenous Peoples and how these practices have enabled neo-colonialism in Canada. Furthering on this theoretical paradigm, the research presented on the Wet’suwet’en protests and the Freedom Convoy is used to demonstrate neo-colonial and systemic racism enabled by law enforcement and the Canadian government. Using a case study design approach and a semi-systematic literature review, the findings highlight that law enforcement practices towards Indigenous Peoples in the Wet’suwet’en protests are highly reminiscent of racism and systemic discrimination and very evidently disparate from law enforcement practices seen with the Freedom Convoy, which primarily consisted of white, privileged Canadian citizens. The protests highlighted ongoing tensions between Indigenous land rights and the Canadian government and the need for greater communication between the two to address other underlying issues. The main findings point to the need for indigenization, reconciliation, and decolonization, as well as the need for Canada to work towards equality for Indigenous Peoples.